Crafty Cornerstones

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved advent-style craft products. There’s something magical about opening a surprise each day and letting it spark your creativity—even if it’s not something you’d normally reach for. It’s a fun challenge that pushes your imagination.

This year, I took on Spellbinders’ Craftoween 2025—a 13-day Halloween crafting adventure. Each day brought a different surprise and a new opportunity to play with techniques I love.

Even though the Craftoween sets sold out quickly, I encourage you to dig into your own stash and recreate the feel with similar products. Sometimes the best inspiration comes from reimagining what you already have!

Day One: Dracula with a Velvet-Inspired Background

Day one featured a dramatic Dracula die set. I knew right away I wanted a bold red backdrop, but traditional options weren’t quite right—ink blending didn’t give me the look I wanted, and glitter cardstock felt too festive instead of spooky. I wanted something rich and textured, like the velvet lining of a coffin.

That’s when inspiration struck: red gilding flakes! They created the perfect texture and shine for the background. Yes, gilding flakes can be a bit messy (they’re so feather light!), but the effect is absolutely worth it. My tip? Turn off any fans or breezes and work over scrap paper for easier cleanup.

To frame Dracula, I blended Distress Oxide Black Soot on a panel, added water splatters for texture, and cut it into an arch shape. I wanted dimension, but not the bulk of heavy foam tape, so I created small accordion-folded strips on each side. This way, the card still lays flat in an envelope but pops up beautifully when displayed.

The result? A Dracula card with eerie texture, rich color, and just the right amount of dimension.

Supplies Used

• Craftoween by Spellbinders 2025 Day 1 Dies
• Craftoween by Spellbinders Stamp Set
• Distress Oxide Black Soot Ink
• Spray Bottle (For water)
• Red Gilding Flakes
• Double-Sided Adhesive
• Black Foam Tape, 1/2″ wide, 1/16″ thick (To pop-up Dracula)
• A2 Nested Arch Dies
• Sizzix Stacked Deckle Dies (inside panel)
• Spellbinders Precision Layering A2 Set B
• Embossing Ink
• Brutus Monroe Alabaster Embossing Powder

This was just Day One of Craftoween—12 more projects are coming! Stay tuned as I share each one over the next couple of weeks. Halloween is only 30 days away, so it’s the perfect time to start your spooky crafting!

Have you ever tried Gilding Flakes? I would love to know! Tell me below.